Biathlon: Suvi Minkkinen’s big debut, a podium finish for Océane Michelon
During a biathlon season, the first World Cup sprint is always an important moment. In this benchmark format, which is the most widely used throughout the winter, the numbers don’t lie, as you need to be both in good shape on the skis and firing well on the mats to be among the top places in the rankings.
Three days after the opening individual event, where it is always difficult to gauge the real level of each athlete, the sprint scheduled for Friday in the snow in Östersund (Sweden) was eagerly awaited. And we were not disappointed, given the intensity of this first real test of the Olympic season.
In the end, it was one of the last favourites to start who came out on top. The leader of a Finnish team that climbed onto the podium at the start of the week thanks to the unexpected Sonja Leinamo, she in turn produced a great performance. A 10/10 on the shooting range and fast on the cross-country skis, she claimed her first World Cup victory at the age of 30.
Revealed to the public eye last season, she lifted her arms no less than 16.6 seconds ahead of Sweden’s Anna Magnusson (10/10), who was not so far off winning again in front of her home crowd three years later.
Joanna Jakiela sixth surprise
As you always need a Frenchwoman on the podium in a World Cup race, third place went to Baujue’s Océane Michelon.
Only twenty-fifth in the individual (16/20), the Frenchwoman took a brilliant revenge and placed in the top 3, 20 sec 8 from winning. All this with her first 10/10 in a World Cup.
Behind them, Austria’s Lisa Theresa Hauser (10/10), Sweden’s Elvira Oeberg (9/10) and Poland’s Joanna Jakiela (10/10) rounded off the flower ceremony, while Maren Kirkeeide (9/10), Julia Tannheimer (9/10), Ella Halvarsson (10/10) and Lotte Lie (10/10) made up the top 10.
In eleventh place was Lou Jeanmonnot (9/10), who made a mistake on the standing shot. Camille Bened (10/10) was thirteenth, followed by Jeanne Richard (9/10), eighteenth, Gilonne Guigonnat (9/10), twenty-eighth, Justine Braisaz-Bouchet (6/10), forty-seventh, and Amandine Mengin (8/10), fifty-eighth. All will be at the start of Sunday’s pursuit.
Full results
C73B_v1-2- The full programme for the Östersund World Cup, the first stage of the 2025/2026 season
- Caroline Colombo: my best memory of… Österusnd
- “When it performs, it creates momentum”: the relays on the opening weekend of the World Cup in Östersund, important events to get the French team on the right track
- Östersund: Jeanne Richard, Océane Michelon, Justine Braisaz-Bouchet and Lou Jeanmonnot dominate the women’s relay, the first race of the winter season
- “It’s a great team effort”: on their first outing of the winter in Östersund, Les Bleues have already won the World Cup
- Östersund: France’s Fabien Claude, Quentin Fillon-Maillet, Emilien Jacquelin and Eric Perrot second in the relay won by Norway
- “A good relay in tempo”: behind the Norwegians in the Östersund relay, the French get their winter off to a good start
- “There’s this desire to go for the greatest medal of all”: beaten by Norway in the first relay of the season, Les Bleus have their sights set on Olympic gold
- Östersund: Sweden win the mixed singles relay ahead of Norway, Fabien Claude and Camille Bened third for France
- “It’s important in a career”: Camille Bened takes her first World Cup relay podium finish in the mixed singles relay in Östersund
- “It’s wonderful to see her so happy and fulfilled”: former biathlete Chloé Bened reacts emotionally to her older sister Camille Bened’s first World Cup podium finish.
- Östersund: Emilien Jacquelin, Eric Perrot, Justine Braisaz-Bouchet and Lou Jeanmonnot win the mixed relay for France
- Östersund World Cup: Corinne Niogret’s debrief (relays)
- Östersund: Dorothea Wierer triumphs in the individual event ahead of Sonja Leinamo and Camille Bened, who takes her first solo podium finish
- “It’s the fruit of a lot of hard work”: an emotional Camille Bened talks about her third place in the Östersund individual event
- Camille Bened as told by her first coach Martin Bouchet after her podium finish in Östersund: “She was already a great fighter who never gave up”.
- Östersund: Johan-Olav Botn takes his first World Cup win by winning the individual, Eric Perrot best Frenchman
- “I’m in seventh heaven”: Johan-Olav Botn, who was ill at the start of the week, ran the perfect race in Östersund.
- “We’re where we should be”: a tricky first individual race for the French team, far from the podium in Östersund
